Merry Christmas

It’s Christmas time again and believe it or not, for the first time in a few years, I am actually ready! I believe (crossing my fingers) that all my presents have been purchased. The tree and other small decorations are up. For the first time in a few years, I am excited about Christmas! Maybe it’s because our lives are so much better than they have been for the last several years, or maybe it’s because I know this is probably our last Christmas in this house and I wanted to do it right for my son.

My poor boy. He’s doing great and has friends and a girlfriend now, so he’s not ready to move at all. But he’s being such a trooper about it. He’s actually come around to praying for me when I go to an interview that God will show me the position and location that is right for us. A year ago, I wouldn’t have been able to say that about him. In fact, a year ago, I wasn’t sure we would ever see so many good days.

One of my son’s teachers this year, had him during his 7th grade year. Recently she went to the school counselor, who I keep in touch with often, to let her know that he is a “completely different child than before”. She has been super impressed by him this year. He’s actually trying, for the most part, and isn’t spending a lot of everyone’s energy trying to convince us all of things that aren’t true. He’s just a totally different child.

He is completely different at home too. For the first time since he was a little tyke, he’s happy. He smiles now, he laughs all the time, he is engaged in life and he is engaged in our family again. I am so happy to see that he is now able to become the kid that he is instead of being buried under all the mess that was going on in his mind.

So this year for Christmas, though the budget is tight, I am focusing on making sure that we do it right, that we spend time together, laugh and enjoy our time, watch movies, have fun, and just generally do Christmas right.

Hopefully, the next time I talk to you all, it will be from our new home, in a new city, with a new career path started. Until then….